Option agreements for land in Godalming
For owners in Godalming and the GU7 area, an option agreement is worth understanding before you talk to any buyer, including us.
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
- No commission: we're the buyer
- No pressure to decide
- Independent advice encouraged
Tell us about your land
Free, no-obligation appraisal.
Godalming at a glance
Our appraisals for Godalming start with the GU7 postcode district and the OS grid square SU94, then widen out to Guildford, Aldershot and Farnham, all within about 8 miles.
Most of the county is Metropolitan Green Belt, and the Surrey Hills National Landscape covers much of the rest.
| Town | Godalming |
|---|---|
| County | Surrey |
| Country | England |
| Postcode district | GU7 |
| OS grid square | SU94 |
| Nearest towns we cover | Guildford (4 mi), Aldershot (8 mi), Farnham (8 mi) |
| Distance from Woking | About 10 miles south |
| Planning system | National Planning Policy Framework and local plan |
| When you're paid | Option fee now, price when the option is exercised |
| Planning costs | Ours, sometimes recoverable from the price |
When an option agreement suits land near Godalming
- Larger fields and blocks on the edge of towns and villages
- Land needing access or infrastructure to be unlocked
- Owners who want to keep farming until development
- Sites with technical issues that need time to resolve
If your land could be allocated in a future local plan, an option keeps it moving towards development without you funding the work.
How the money works
Purchase price
Often a percentage of market value with permission, less agreed costs.
Deductions
Which planning and infrastructure costs come off the price before you're paid.
Exercise triggers
What has to happen before we can buy.
Your obligations
Agreements set what you can and can't do with the land in the meantime.
Land near Godalming that an option agreement suits
Land with planning permission in Godalming
Rarely needed once consent exists, but can suit phased sites.
Large strategic sites in Godalming
The usual route: an option fee now and a price based on market value later.
Land for affordable homes in Godalming
Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.
Garden land and backland in Godalming
Useful when several neighbours' gardens are being assembled.
How a sale works
Send us the address
A postcode, a plan or a what3words location is enough to start.
We do the homework
We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.
We put an offer in writing
It shows how we got there. There's no obligation to accept.
Solicitors complete the sale
Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.
Planning and legal points for land in Surrey
Planning framework
Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.
Section 106 and CIL
Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.
Common problems, and how we handle them
You're worried about the deductions
Ask for a clear list and a cap on what can be deducted. We'll explain each one.
You want to be sure we'll actually pursue planning
Agreements can include obligations to use reasonable endeavours and set milestones.
Useful to send us
- A rough size, in acres or hectares
- Any planning applications or letters
- Details of any tenants or grazing agreements
- How soon you'd ideally like to sell
Questions from landowners near Godalming
What is an option agreement?
A contract that gives the buyer the right to buy your land within a set period, usually after planning permission is granted. You receive an option fee now and the purchase price if the option is exercised.
How long do options last?
It varies with the site. Several years is typical for land needing local plan allocation, often with extension rights.
Can I sell to someone else during the option?
Not usually. The option binds the land, and it's normally registered against your title.
Do you cover the villages around Godalming?
Yes. Villages between Godalming, Guildford and Aldershot often have the kind of edge-of-settlement land we're looking for.
More land we buy in Godalming
- Development land
- Land with planning permission
- Land without planning permission
- Large strategic sites
- Green belt and grey belt land
- Land for affordable homes
- Farmland and agricultural land
- Paddocks and equestrian land
- Barns and rural buildings
- Building plots
- Garden land and backland
- Infill plots and gap sites
- Small sites
- Garage sites
- Brownfield land
- Redundant commercial and industrial land
- Inherited and probate land
- Landlocked land and access problems
- Outright purchase
- Subject-to-planning sale
- Joint ventures
- All land in Godalming
- Option agreements in Surrey
Find out what we'd pay for your land near Godalming
Call 0800 088 6248 or send the details. There's no obligation.